OUTGOING Non-Governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Executive Director Engwase Mwale has called on the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) to curb online violence against women and girls.

And Mwale has announced that her 17-year tenure as NGOCC Executive Director ends today and that her successor will be Anne Anamela.

Speaking during a media briefing, Wednesday, Mwale said NGOCC was still deeply concerned about the status of women in private and public sectors.

“Truly, women still need to put in double efforts to wade through the ever-changing patriarchal tendencies while confronting various cultural and social norms. Ultimately, I have come to learn that for women, it is either one is vulnerable, marginalized and excluded or one is empowered, included but more often than not, women remain isolated the higher they climb the ladder. Alas, today I have the privilege to attest to many women out there that the leadership journey for women remains a priority and strategic one especially in the public arena because that is where it matters most and that is where decisions about the destiny of our country are shaped and made,” she said.

“NGOCC remains deeply concerned about the status of women in Zambia both in the private and public sectors. It remains a fact that women have over the years been discriminated against from both participating and benefiting from the various development processes. According to the ZAMSTATS population density map for Zambia, the 2021 estimate shows an increase in population to about 18.9 million Zambians against the 2010 Census Report at 13,046,508 Zambians of which women were 6,652,053 (translating to about 51%).”

Mwale said it was also of concern that even the few women who had climbed the corporate ladder had not been spared from online violence.

“From the above statistics, the fact remains that women are in the majority, while the numbers in decision making positions remain unacceptably low. Even with the consistently low numbers going by the few that are already in key decision-making positions, we are particularly concerned with the increased cyber bullying, hate speech, ridicule and online violence against women leaders from both the private and public sectors. For instance, during the run-up to the 2021 General Election, the Zambia National Women’s Lobby recorded a total of 554 cases of cyberbullying and online violence monitored on platforms such as Facebook (Meta), WhatsApp and Twitter,” she said.

“While these cases were mainly against women in politics, there is now also a growing trend of attacks towards women in both the public and private sectors. Just recently, we saw how the Minister of Information, Hon. Chushi Kasanda was cyber bullied arising out of what can be a common mistake by anyone. In addition, we saw on some WhatsApp messaging platforms (as shared by concerned parties) some unwarranted and ill-informed remarks targeted at some female Chief Executives of named financial institutions. It is also of concern that even the few women who have climbed the corporate ladder have not been spared from online violence. The women’s movement is greatly displeased with these continued attacks and wish to condemn, in the strongest terms, such violations against women leaders.”

Mwale said while the organisation does not support the Cyber Security Act as it stifles freedom of expression and to some extent of the press, ZICTA needed to curb the online violence against women and girls.

“While we do not support the Cyber Security Act as it stifles freedom of expression and to some extent of the press, we call upon the Zambia Information and Communications Authority (ZICTA) to curb all online violence against women and girls and indeed anyone else. It remains a truism that sustainable development will only be achieved if women and men work together in solidarity. Women will however continue to remain in the peripheries of national development if violence against them, in all its forms, continues unabated. We need to nurture a culture that will encourage more women to aspire for leadership positions. Unfortunately, the current trend just works to dim women’s aspirations and go further to demotivate many of our women and young upcoming women who have intentions to serve this country,” said Mwale.

“We therefore, appeal to bloggers to desist from these tendencies especially given that both women and men have equal rights to participate freely in decision-making at all levels of development. We stand in solidarity with all women leaders in the country to remain focused as agents of social change for the many citizens of our motherland. Women’s leadership is indeed the way to go for Zambia and 57 years after independence, the future of our country lies in the hands of women and young people.”